[MD] Reifying carrots

[MarshaV]

Such fun...  


     "The asymmetry in James's view of mind and matter may be due in part to his advocacy of a "field theory" of consciousness, in contrast to an "atomistic theory," which he vigorously rejects.  I would argue, however, that the nature of consciousness does not intrinsically conform either to a field theory or an atomistic theory.  Rather, different kinds of conscious events become apparent when inspected from the perspective of each of these different conceptual frameworks.  Using James's field theory, one may ascertain an individual, discrete continuum of awareness; and using the atomic theory one may discern within the stream of consciousness discrete moments of awareness and individual, constituent mental factors of those moments.  Thus, while certain features of consciousness may be perceived only within the conceptual framework of a field theory, others may be observed only in terms of an atomistic theory.  This complementarity is reminiscent of the relation between particle and field theories of mass/energy in modern physics.  The crucial point here is that neither conceptual framework is inherent in the nature of pure experience.  James seems to have fallen into the trap of reifying his own concept of a field of consciousness, and this may have prevented him from determining, even to his own satisfaction, the way in which consciousness does and does not exist.

     "James did not present a practical means of transcending one's familiar conceptual framework and entering into the state of pure experience.  On the contrary, he declared, "Only new-born babes, or men in semi-coma from sleep, drugs, illnesses, or blows, may be assumed to have an experience pure in the literal sense of a that which is not yet any definite what."  Given his keen interest in and appreciation for mystical experience, it is strange that he apparently did not consider that advanced contemplatives may have gained access to conceptually unmediated consciousness that would have a strong bearing on his notion of pure experience."

  Wallace, B. Alan, 'The Taboo of Subjectivity: Towards a New Science of Consciousness',pp.114-115)



p.s.  Please not how the word 'reifying' is being used at the bottom of the first paragraph.  



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